Monarch Migration Update: June 14, 2000Just a quick update today to give you the latest data for your monarch migration map. Now that monarchs
have spread across their northern breeding range, we'll post the FINAL Migration Update next week. Have a great
summer!

Monarch Migration Update: May 17, 2000The predicted population explosion has occurred--another 49 new sightings were reported this week!
What a contrast between this spring's migration map and that of Spring, 1999.
Here's a chance for students to do their own analysis, using maps from both seasons for comparison. Monarchs can't
live without milkweed, but milkweed's not only for monarchs. Which other creatures are connected
to milkweed? Explore milkweed ecology and take this creature quiz.

Monarch Butterfly Migration Update: May 10,
2000The first monarchs have crossed the border into Canada! Strong south winds blew butterflies
into the north during the past week. What a contrast you'll see when comparing this week's map to last week's!
How many generations of monarchs will live this summer? And which generation will fly to Mexico next fall?

Monarch Butterfly Migration Update: May 3,
2000Your migration map probably now shows how far the monarchs from Mexico will travel
this year. How long have these monarchs been alive? Florida students calculated the answer: 245 days. That's 8
months! If a monarch butterfly could talk, just think of the stories it could tell! But are the early monarchs
ahead of their milkweed? Try this field study to see which grows faster, a monarch or a milkweed plant.

Monarch Butterfly Migration Update: April
26, 2000The monarchs are continuing to push northward! Just how far north do you think
the monarchs from Mexico will go? Are some monarchs ahead of the milkweed they need? If you live in the north,
where monarchs have not yet arrived, YOUR first monarchs will probably be the children of the butterflies from
Mexico. Turn your migration map into a new map, one that shows when and where the NEXT generation of monarchs should
emerge.

Monarch Butterfly Migration Update: April
19, 2000Just a quick update today to give you the latest data for your monarch migration
map. This week's report is abbreviated, due to vacation this week at many schools. Watch for a full update next
week, according to the schedule posted.

Monarch Butterfly Migration Update: April
12, 2000The migration surged northward last week. Among the most surprising news: First Monarchs were reported
in Tennessee, Illinois...and Connecticut! Can you think of 3 reasons why it might be risky for a monarch to travel
as far north as Connecticut this early in the spring? When unusual or surprising sightings occur, don't ignore
the questions that come to mind. Remember, this is your study and you're the scientist!

Monarch Butterfly Migration Update: April
5, 2000If the monarch sighted last week in Georgia had flown straight northward, instead of to the east,
it would be in Nebraska--and almost in South Dakota! Why don't monarchs go directly north? Do you see any correlation
between "Plant Hardiness Zones" and the path of the monarchs? Name two important reasons why a vegetation
map might be helpful when analyzing monarch migration.

Monarch Migration Update: March 29, 2000Although the monarchs have now left the Mexican sanctuaries behind, for the first time this year,
news of their journey north will be sent back to the people who share their mountain home with the monarchs every
winter. Now that the migration has been underway for 3-4 weeks, what pattern is your map beginning to show? Do
the monarchs move straight northward from Mexico? One pattern we notice each year is that most migrating monarchs
are seen on Saturdays and Sundays. Do you think monarchs usually migrate on weekends?

Monarch Migration Update: March 22, 2000The first monarch has already been sighted in Arkansas! Assuming it flew all the way from Mexico,
how far did that butterfly fly? How many millions of Monarchs were in Mexico this year? The count is! Meanwhile
in Texas, they're watching the wings for clues as to how old the butterflies are. Do you think these 3 monarchs
flew from Mexico?

Monarch Butterfly Migration Update: March
15, 2000The migration is off to an early start this spring, with sightings already as far
north as latitude 32 N. This is at least a full week earlier than those at the same locations last year. "Not
withstanding, in 24 years of Mexican monarch watching, I'd never seen the colonies break apart substantially before
the 20th of March," reports Dr. Calvert from the Mexican sanctuaries. Read this week's news from the sanctuaries,
and an interview with local tour guide, "Javier". How is ecotourism working as a conservation strategy
there?

Monarch Butterfly Migration Update: March
1, 2000Dr. Bill Calvert reports from Mexico: Streams of butterflies flowing down the mountain, filling
the road and bringing traffic to a crawl. And 'the cloud effect', where basking butterflies immediately push off
into the air, their wings sounding like a beehive. What are the reasons behind these beautiful spring displays?
Also, some thoughts about land conservation: Who owns the monarch sanctuaries?

Monarch Butterfly Migration Update: February
23, 2000Millions upon millions of monarchs were basking in the sun this week when U.S. students joined Dr.
Calvert in the Mexican sanctuaries. "We were treated to a display that was simply astounding." How many
monarch are typically clustered on a single tree in a monarch colony? And why do monarchs shiver?

Monarch Migration Update: February 16, 2000For those of us waiting for the monarch migration to begin, this week's news from Eligio Garcia
signals some exciting changes. After clustering tightly together during the coldest months in Mexico, the monarch
colonies have begun to break up and the butterflies are beginning to descend the mountains. Students at Pedro Ascencio
school are monitoring the weather in the sanctuaries. Why might information about rain, snow, dew and frost be
important to measure?

Monarch Migration Update: February 9, 2000Biologist Eligio Garcia sends this greeting from the mountains in Mexico, where the millions of
monarch butterflies from the U.S. and Canada have gone for the winter. This year he reports only 350 trees filled
with monarchs in one sanctuary, where there were 1,750 last year. How might this be explained? Until the monarch
migration begins in March, watch for weekly updates from the Mexico every Wednesday. Each will include a first-person
account of life in the region, as told by the children and families who live there.